As Mad Hatter"s Linux desktop product sits poised for launch, Sun Microsystems has added the RealOne media player from RealNetworks to the new operating system. With some 350 million users, the RealOne player gives Sun a high-profile application that the company hopes will help draw more users away from Microsoft and toward its Linux-based OS. "We want to accelerate the growth of Linux for the desktop with a complete solution -- including software users are familiar with, such as the RealOne player," said Gary Little, Sun"s product line manager for desktop solutions.
Feather in Mad Hatter"s Cap
While the open-source Linux standard has gained a foothold in back-end systems, Sun is confident it can loosen Microsoft"s stranglehold on the desktop. A hindrance to the acceptance of desktop Linux, thus far, has been a lack of applications. Mad Hatter is touted as a complete desktop package, featuring Sun"s StarOffice suite, which reads and writes all Microsoft file formats, as well as Sun ONE mail, calendaring and instant-messaging software. "For a truly viable platform, you have to meet the requirements of users, and multimedia applications are now being used by businesses for video conferencing, sales training and other tasks," said Little.